Cotton picking machine



March 16, 1937.

' J. D. RUST E.'l' AL COTTON PICKING MACHINE Filed Oct. 10, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet l Elma/Moon MACK Bus?- March 16, 1937. J. D. RUST El AL 2,073,653

COTTON PICKING MACHINE Filed Oct. 10, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 How (I:

Bow (Q JOHN D. Bus? MAC/f D. Busr March 16, 1937.

J. D. RUST El AL COTTON PICKING MACHINE Filed Oct. 10, 1935 3 sheets-sheet s awe/whom JoHND.RusT MACK DPus-r Patented Mar. 16, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COTTON PICKING MACHINE John D. Rust and Mack D. Bushltiemphis, Tenn. Application October 10, 1935, Serial No. 44,412

4 Claim S.

The present invention relates to cotton picking machines of a type similar to that disclosed in our Patent No. 1,894,198, granted January 10, 1933.

An object of the present invention is to provide a self-contained machine that may be propelled and powered by its own power plant, located to the rear of the machine.

Another object is to provide a simplified power driven vehicle to carry the picking unit or units.

Another object is to provide a vehicle consisting of a suitable frame supported by a pair of steering wheels at the front and a power driven wheel at the rear, the steering wheels straddling two rows of cotton plants while the driving wheel runs between the said two rows.

Other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed. out hereinafter.

To the attainment of the aforesaid objects and ends the invention still further resides in the novel details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, all of which will be first fully described in the following detailed description, and then be particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:--

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a single-unit machine.

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof. Figure 3 is a top plan view of a two-unit machine.

Figure 4 is a rear elevation of the machine shown in Figures 1 and 2.

In the drawings in which like numerals and letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures, A and B represent the picking units, the

detailed construction of which is immaterial to the present invention, as is also the manner of mounting the same on the carrying frame of the vehicle, since the same may be of the construction disclosed in and/or covered by our said Letters Patent and other applications pending, Ser. Nos. 678,670, 723,423, 733,687, 26,363, for examples.

The picking unit or units may be carried by the vehicle in any suitable manner, as for example by cables and sheaves, asdisclosed in our application Ser. No. 26,363, aforementioned.

The vehicle comprises a carrying frame of iongitudinal (preferably) channel irons l suitably 0 cross braced at I and 8 and having member 2 with hearing ends 3 for the shaft 4 of the traction wheel (preferably'a bull-wheel) 5.

A plate or sub-frame 6 is suitably secured to the frame bars or irons l and carries the power plant consisting of the usual motor l1, etc., and transmission mechanism iii. The transmission mechanism (not shown in detail, but which may be of any suitable construction) includes a driving sprocket l9 over which a chain 2| passes, the chain also passing over the driven sprocket 20 for driving the traction wheel 5.

The carrying frame is supported at the front end by the steering wheels l2 carried on spindles ll having upright shafts 9 held to turn in suitable bearings Iii. A suitable steeringmechanism i3l4-l5 connects the shafts 9 and serves to turn the same when actuated by the operator who sits on a suitably located seat l6. The steering mechanism is the Well known type commonly used in automobile and tractor engineering and, per se, is not a part of the present invention.

Power for driving the picking unit or units is obtained from the bevel gear 22 of the transmission mechanism. In the single-unit machine (see Figures 1 and 2) the gear 22 meshes with a 2 bevel gear 23 on a stub shaft having a universal joint connection 24 to a telescopic driving shaft 25 which, in turn, has a universal joint connection 26 with a main shaft 21 of the picking unit A.

The means for suspending the picking unit A from the carrying frame is designated generally by the reference number 28.

In the second embodiment of our invention, shown in Figure 3, those parts which correspond to like parts in Figures 1, 2 and 4 bear the same reference character, plus the index letter a. so a further description thereof will not, here, be

necessary.

When two units A and B are mounted on the carrying frame, the frame is extended forwardly suficiently to locate the steering wheels i2 in front of the units A-B and, if desired, the operators seat l6 and steering wheel post i5 may be located centrally.

Power from the driving gear 22 is given to a countershaft 29 through a gear 30 and is transmitted through gears 3i and the respective gears 23, of the universal-joint-telescopic-shaft driving connection, to the main shafts .of the two units. a

The center line of the rows of cotton plants are indicated by dot and dash lines.

As will be noted particularly from Figures 1 and 4, the traction wheel 5 is mounted on one side of the member 2, while the sprocket 20 is mounted on the other side. This enables the wheel 5 to be removed and replaced conveniently when necessary or desirable without disturbing the sprocket and chain connection. This feature is particularly desirable when a rubber tired traction wheel is used, since in case of a puncture the machine may be Jacked up under the support 2 and the tire changed, or the wheel may be changed, as found desirable.

Operation As the machine is driven through the field the steering wheels I! straddle two rows, while the traction wheel runs between the two rows, the unit -A picking cot'ton from one row (or when unit B is also used, cotton is picked from both rows).

The cotton stalks enter the picking mechanism through the throat thereof. The action of the picking units themselves is now well known and it therefore is not necessary to describe the same in this specification. I

The structures disclosed in this application are the preferred ones, but we wish it to be understood that modifications, alterations in design and proportions of parts, and some changes in the details of construction may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is thought that the construction, operation and advantages of our invention, together with its novel features, will be clear to those skilled in the art.

What we claim is:

1. A cotton picking machine comprising a pair of picking units carried by a vehicle to pick cotton from two adjacent rows, said vehicle comprising a suitable frame, a pair of steering wheels supporting the front of the frame and spaced to straddle two rows of cotton plants, a traction wheel supporting the rear of said frame, a power plant carried by said frame, and power transmitting connections between said power plant and said traction wheel and said picking unit. 2. In a. cotton picking machine, wherein one or more complete picking units are supported and conveyed along the rows of cotton plants; a carrying vehicle for said unit or units, which vehicle comprises a longitud nally disposed horizontal elevated frame having bearings at its front end, spindle-carrying upright shafts journalled in said bearings, steering wheels mounted on the spindles of said shafts, steering mechanism mounted on said frame and cooperatively connected to said upright shafts, said frame including upright supports at the rear, a traction wheel carried by the rear supports, means for mounting the picking unit or units beneath the elevated frame, said steering wheels being spaced to straddle two rows of plants while said traction wheel runs between said two rows of plants, and means to transmit power from said power plant to said traction wheel and to the picking unit or units.

3. In a cotton picking machine, a frame comprising an elevated portion, a pair of steering wheels for supporting the front portion of said frame, spaced apart to straddle two rows of plants, a. single bull-wheel for supporting the frame at the rear, a power plant carried by said frame, steering mechanism carried by said frame and connected operatively with said steering wheels, a cotton picking unit hung from the elevated portion of said frame intermediate the front and back ends thereof, and power transmitting connections between said power plant and said bull-wheel and the picking mechanism for purposes described.

4. A cotton picking machine comprising a picking unit carried by a vehicle including an elevated frame, a pair of steering wheels mounted at the front of the frame and spaced to straddle two rows of plants, said frame including a rear support, a shaft journalled in a bearing in said rear support, a traction wheel mounted on said shaft at one side of said support, a power plant carried by said vehicle and driving connections between said power plant and said shaft, said driving connections lying to the side of said support opposite that on which the traction wheel is located.

JOHN D. RUST. MACK D. RUST. 

